sleeve design

Would Sgt. Pepper's be exactly the same without Peter Blake's cover ? At a time when full-length records do not mean much any longer and album covers even less, I found interesting to make a website on sleeve design. Long before videos, record covers were the visual embodiment of music, a way to put images on sound. I remember having spent hours as a teenager detailing the cover of records while listening to them. Later on, I realised that some of them had things in common in their design, revealing either a mere sign of the times or a more deliberate connection. Some records even obviously copied famous sleeves, as a tribute or as a mockery. Here is a collection of record covers I came across, which share some common visual features.

Russian dolls


Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-71 (1972)	Uriah Heep Sonic Origami (1999)

Higher ground


Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)	Yesterday's New Quintet Stevie Vol.1 (2002)

Smart font on dark blue background


TV on the Radio Dear Science (2008)	Band of Horses Infinite Arms (2010)

Winged Oudjat-eye


Alan Parsons Project Eye in the Sky (1983)	The Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing (1990)

Psyche

The 13th Floor Elevators

The Psychedelic Sounds of

the 13th Floor Elevators (1966)

Suicidal Flowers

The Psychedevilic Sounds of

Suicidal Flowers (1997)

Various

The Psychedelic Sounds of

the Sonic Cathedral (2010)

Backlit countryside


Kruder & Dorfmeister The K&D Sessions (1998)	Bénabar Reprise des Négociations (2005)

From Israel to Tennessee


Nazareth Nazareth (1971)	Nashville Pussy Say Something Nasty (2002)

From Liverpool to Hamburg


The Beatles with Tony Sheridan Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days (2001)	Joe Jackson Live 1980-86 (1988)

Close-up with large glasses


Kylie Minogue X (2008)	Lady Gaga The Fame (2008)

Fun in the sun


Elvis Presley Fun in Acapulco (1963)	El Vez Fun in Español (1994)

Afghan kids


The Afghan Whigs Gentlemen (1993)	Various Summer's Kiss - A Tribute to the Afghan Whigs (2009)

Posse


N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1988)	Good Clean Fun Straight Outta Hardcore (2001)

Raccoon Hooded


Paul Simon Paul Simon (1972)	Stress Billy Bear (2003)


Aqualung Still Life (2003)	Laure Milan Sourire aux Anges (2008)	Polarkreis 18 (2008)

Hexagon inside cube


David Kitt Big Romance (2001)	Black Mountain In the Future (2008)

Fish eye


The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)	The Rolling Stones Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) (1966)	(Screaming) Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends Hands of Jack the Ripper (1972)

Ray Manzarek

The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll

Now It's Out of Control (1975)

Neil Young + Crazy Horse

Ragged Glory (1990)

Seen from behind


Jimmy Reed Rockin' with Reed (1959)	Jack Johnson On and On (2003)

Couch


The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground (1969)	The Cranberries Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Don't We ? (1993)	The Drums Encyclopedia (2014)


Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)	The Go-Betweens Liberty Bell and the Black Diamond Express (1986)	Carte de Séjour 2½ (1986)